


The Inquisitor's Path

by Bopie98



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:37:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9204365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bopie98/pseuds/Bopie98
Summary: The summary of "The Inquisitor's Path" is irrelevant as it follows the events of Dragon Age Inquisition as Zaphyr and Venaris Lavellan.





	1. The Formation of the Inquisition

Zaphyr Lavellan awoke slowly in an unfamiliar room. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head where the tie keeping the front of his off white hair had been digging into his skull. Clearly he didn't get here on his own. He tried to think for a moment, closing his eyes briefly. He began to remember the rifts and opened his eyes once again, staring at his hand as it began to glow green. Being a mage he was no stranger to magic, but this was foreign to him. He sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, putting his boots back on. He was about to get up when he heard a commotion coming from outside.

“Ser please! The Herald of Andraste is resting!” 

“The “Herald of Andraste”? What does that even mean? Do you even know where we're from?” Zaphyr sighed and shook his head, knowing exactly who the second voice belonged too. He waited patiently, knowing that the poor girl outside had no chance at keeping him out. Moments later the door burst open and a man with rich brown hair and blue eyes filled with determination and worry hurried over.

“Aneth ara Lethallin,” Zaphyr said with a small smile. 

“Don't give me that. Are you hurt? What happened? Why are you here? What-” 

“Woah, slow down Venaris, I'm fine, for the most part. I'm still trying to piece everything together myself,” Zaphyr explained and Venaris let out a frustrated sigh before sitting next to him on the bed, pulling him into a tight hug. “How did you even find me?”

“When the Conclave gets destroyed word gets around,” Venaris drawled, letting him go. “What even happened there? I heard everyone at the Conclave died, but one. And here you are.”

“I honestly couldn't tell you. All I remember is waking up with this weird power in my hand.” Zaphyr held his hand up, showing the green crackling energy to his cousin. Venaris grabbed his wrist and inspected it with fascinated curiosity.

“You never should have been there in the first place, at least not alone. What was the Keeper thinking?” Venaris asked letting Zaphyr have his hand back.

“Oh, and I suppose you would have made a better candidate?” Zaphyr retorted crossing his arms.

“Well I could have at least gone with you,” Venaris shot back, crossing his arms as well. Zaphyr paused a moment to make sure Venaris was serious before laughing. “What's so funny?”

“You think you could blend in with the people at the Conclave? They'd turn you away at the door!” Venaris opened his mouth the protest, but grumbled to himself instead. Zaphyr chuckled and looked over as the door was slammed open once again, this time by Cassandra. 

“Zaphyr! We heard there was an intruder, are you all right?” Cassandra shouted, sword drawn and at the ready. 

“I'm fine, this is Venaris. You could call him my cousin,” Zaphyr explained calmly, watching Venaris in the corner of his eye. He remained still, but Zaphyr could see the slight twitch in his hand as he readied to draw his weapons if the need arose. Thankfully Cassandra seemed satisfied with Zaphyr's explanation and sheathed her weapon.

“Zaphyr, the others and I would like to speak with you. Alone. We'll be waiting in the Chantry,” Cassandra said before turning and leaving.

“Well she seems charming,” Venaris commented, sarcasm dripping from his mouth. Zaphyr just shrugged.

“She's not as bad as she could be. At least she seems very determined to make sure I don't die,” Zaphyr explained.

“Though I am not complaining about her desire to keep you alive, why does she have it?” Venaris asked. Zaphyr looked away slightly and Venaris narrowed his eyes. “Zaphyr, what do these people want from you?”

“It appears as if I'm the only one that can close the breech,” Zaphyr replied softly. When he looked back at Venaris, he was staring at Zephyr in disbelief.

“The breech? The big hole in the sky? The big hole in the sky that demons are supposedly coming from? That breech?” When Zaphyr just nodded Venaris stood up. “Are they all insane?! You don't even know where this power came from and they're expecting you to dive straight into a sea of demons on the off chance that it will close that thing?!”

“It's more than just an “off chance” Venaris. I successfully closed some of the rifts the breech created while we were on our way to deal with the breech,” Zaphyr explained.

“You did what?!” Zaphyr winced as Venaris' voice reached an octave he didn't even know it could reach. “You can't seriously be considering staying and participating in this apparent suicide mission!”

“Actually I can,” Zaphyr said standing. “I'm the only one with the mark. If I just up and leave the problem will probably never get solved.”

“But it's not our problem,” Venaris argued.

“It's everybody's problem,” Zaphyr countered. Venaris stared at Zaphyr, knowing that, once again, Zaphyr was right. “Look, I have to go talk to the others. Please at least try to behave.”

“What? I'm coming with you,” Venaris protested.

“No, you're not. Please Venaris, these people are all highly on edge and I'm too tired to deal with a needless conflict right now. Besides, these people are determined to not let me die remember?” Zaphyr argued. “There's a lot of interesting people around here. I think. There's a dwarf from Kirkwall at least, I'm sure he has an unending amount of fascinating stories that he would be more than happy to tell you.” Venaris looked intrigued for a moment and then narrowed his eyes.

“I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work. These aren't our people, I'm not going to leave you to take care of everything alone again.” Zaphyr sighed and put his hand on Venaris' shoulder. 

“You're right, these aren't our people. Which is why I need you to scope out the people here. I know I can trust those I'm about to talk to, but I'm not so sure about the rest of them,” Zaphyr explained.

“You could have just asked from the beginning you know,” Venaris said.

“I was hoping you would just behave yourself without issue, but I guess it was foolish of me to even try,” Zaphyr said with a shrug. “Just don't cause a riot. I'm getting the feeling we're going to be here for a while and I don't need everyone hating us from the get-go.”

“Based on what I saw, that would be pretty hard,” Venaris mumbled to himself. Zaphyr gave him a questioning look and he just shook his head. “You'll see.” Zaphyr shrugged and opened the door, shielding his eyes from the bright light. When his eyes adjusted he saw what Venaris meant. Dozens of people stood outside the door, some soldiers in a respectful pose. As he walked he heard whispers from the people about his supposed status as “Herald of Andrastate.” He smiled awkwardly as he walked through the crowd that seemed to part as he approached.

He didn't hear Venaris behind him, but he knew he was there. At least until he came to the front doors of the Chantry. Zaphyr took a deep breath and opened the doors, walking down the hall into the last room. As he approached the door he could hear the Chancellor and Cassandra bickering from just beyond. He steeled himself before walking into the room, greeted by the Chancellor calling for irons. He was relieved to hear Cassandra stand up for him, but that didn't ease any of the tension. The Chancellor continued to argue, even when Leliana stepped in.

“Please,” Zaphyr began, breaking the argument if only for a moment, “I may not remember what happened, but I promise to do all I can to help from here on in.” Cassandra smiled slightly at Zaphyr before returning her gaze to the Chancellor. 

“This man was sent to us by the Maker himself.” Zaphyr hid his distaste for this, “Chosen One” title, especially by the Maker. Though he himself may not believe it, telling that to the others who do would not be in his best interest. He watched as Cassandra grabbed a book and slammed it on the table. Zaphyr looked at it intrigued as she explained its significance and the formation of the Inquisition. The Chancellor left in a huff, clearly unwilling to support this new development. 

“This is going to be a hard start. We have no leader, no troops, and no support from the Chantry. But we have no choice. We must act now; with you at our side,” Leliana said as she and Cassandra looked at Zaphyr. He took a moment and held in his sigh. He was afraid of this.

“Your cause is a noble one, and these people need a noble cause right about now. I will help in any way I can,” Zaphyr replied. Cassandra smiled as Zaphyr shook her hand.

“We must begin the necessary preparations right away,” Leliana said. They all walked out of the Chantry together and Venaris was there waiting for Zaphyr.

“I'll catch up with you. Let me know if you need anything,” Zaphyr said to Cassandra. Cassandra looked at the two and just nodded, walking off with Leliana. “So, how did your recon go?” Venaris shrugged and pushed off of the wall that he was leaning against.

“They are interesting fellows to say the least, don't really trust them though,” Venaris replied. Zaphyr smiled slightly and began walking.

“I didn't really expect you to trust them, but I guess I'm going to learn to. After all, I'll be around here for a while,” Zaphyr explained. Venaris crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“And what is that suppose to mean?” Venaris asked.

“Well, the people here decided to create an organization called The Inquisition and I may have sort of said I would join them.” Venaris stopped walking and just stared at Zaphyr.

“You're kidding right?” Zaphyr stopped and turned to face Venaris. He lifted his hand up and willed it to spark green.

“Venaris, whether you like it or not, I am the only one with this power-”

“Yes, yes, you've mentioned that, but-”

“And because I have this power I have a responsibility to use it to close the breech in the sky.”

“I got that. You want to save the world. But what I don't get is why you would join this, “Inquisition”. Being a free agent is one thing, it's another thing entirely to be a part of the organization. What are you going to do if you close the breech and they want more from you?” Venaris demanded.

“I'd help them,” Zaphyr answered simply. Venaris groaned and paced in a circle. Zaphyr smirked slightly, finding amusement in Venaris' aggravation. 

“What about the Keeper and the Clan? You're the First for crying out loud!”

“Do you have so little faith that the Keeper will survive until I get back? She's a feisty old bird,” Zaphyr shot back. Venaris opened his mouth to argue, and all that came out was a noise accentuating his displeasure and frustration. “It's not up for discussion. You're free to go back home.”

“Oh don't give me that. You know I'm not going to leave you alone with these people.” Zaphyr smiled and hugged Venaris.

“Yeah, I know. Ma serannas Lethallin.” Zaphyr turned away and watched as Cassandra and the others announce the formation of the Inquisition.


	2. Meeting the Council

The leaders of the new Inquisition got to work immediately, setting up posters and announcing the formation to anyone with an ear. Zaphyr tried his best to stay out of the way, only addressing people if they addressed him first. If he was being totally honest with himself, this “Harold of Andraste” thing still made him uncomfortable. Venaris kept himself busy with talking to the other members around the camp, taking interest in Varric's stories and Solas' experiences. It was good to see his cousin keeping himself out of trouble, but he couldn't help but feel lonely at times. He was surrounded by people that practically worshiped him for something he hasn't even done yet.

When he heard Cassandra call out his name he jumped slightly, not realizing how lost in thought he really was. He glanced over to where Venaris was speaking with Varric, unsurprised at how intensely he was looking at Cassandra. Zaphyr waved him off subtly, turning his gaze and smile toward Cassandra. 

“We need to talk. And it's about time you met everyone,” Cassandra said curtly. Zaphyr nodded and followed Cassandra toward the chantry, glaring daggers at Venaris when he tried to follow. Venaris glared back and seemed to mumble something under his breath, but didn't continue following. Varric patted his arm with mock sympathy, but Zaphyr was too far away to hear what he said.

“Does it trouble you?” Cassandra asked, noticing Zaphyr glancing more than once at his hand as they walked.

“No, not really. Well, I suppose...I'm not sure to be honest. All this has happened so quickly it's hard to keep up,” Zaphyr admitted. 

“It does seem like we forced you into a less than pleasant situation without really considering your thoughts. But it matters not. As it stands the Inquisition needs you and your power.” Zaphyr sighed at Cassandra's directness as they walked into the main room. He saw Cullen, whom he had met briefly at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Leliana, and a woman clad in gold holding what looked like a portable desk.

“Zaphyr, allow me to formally introduce everyone,” Cassandra began, “We have Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisition's forces, Lady Josephine Montilyet, our ambassador and chief diplomat, and of course you know Sister Leliana. Our spymaster.”

“Not exactly the most elegant of wording, but I suppose it gets the point across,” Leliana snapped.

“A pleasure in any case,” Zaphyr replied with a small bow. 

“I mentioned your mark needs more power to close the breach for good,” Cassandra explained, brushing over the others.

“Which his why we should approach the rebel mages for help. Their magic can increase the mark's power,” Leliana explained.

“I respectfully disagree with approaching the mages. The templars are just as capable of helping, if not potentially more reliable,” Cullen argued. 

“We've talked about this. We need to power up the mark, how would templars accomplish that?” Cassandra asked.

“The templars could weaken the breach, making it easier to close without pouring magic into an unknown force that could destroy us all,” Cullen replied.

“Pure speculation,” Leliana scoffed.

“I was a templar. I know what they're capable of,” Cullen shot back. 

“Unfortunately neither group will meet with us. The Chantry had denounced the Inquisition. You specifically,” Josephine spoke up, pointing her pen toward Zephry.

“That didn't take long,” Zaphyr muttered. 

“People are calling you, a Dalish elf, the “Harold of Andraste”. This frightens the Chantry,” Josephine replied with a shrug.

“But all is not lost. A Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has asked to speak with you,” Leliana explained.

“Why would she wish to speak with me?” Zaphyr asked, unable to hide his curiosity. If the rest of the Chantry wanted nothing to do with him, why would she?

“Who knows? She might simply disagree with his sisters. You'll find her in the Hinderlands near Redcliff, tending to the wounded. While you're there you could even attempt to extend the reach of the Inquisition.” The others nodded in agreement and Zaphyr began to feel the weight of the world crash down upon his shoulders.

“While we do that let's try to think of other options. I don't want to leave this all on the Harold,” Cassandra said. Zaphyr looked over and almost felt some of that pressure lessen. Despite him being the figure head, these people seemed to genuinely care about his well being. “That being said we'll head out immediately. I suggest you begin preparations.” Zaphyr nodded and walked out of the room, almost crashing into Venaris.

“You really couldn't stay away could you?” Zaphyr said, crossing his arms.

“I can't help it. You're the one that insists on throwing yourself into the lion's den whenever you get the chance. Besides those walls are thick. I couldn't hear what was going on anyway,” Venaris admitted bitterly. Zaphyr chuckled and walked out of the chantry. “So what are we doing?”

“We're going to talk to a Chantry cleric by the name of Mother Giselle in the Hinderlands,” Zaphyr explained.

“Isn't there a lot of fighting in that region? You know, the whole Mage Templar War thing?” Venaris asked, trying to make a point.

“That's the one. I'm sure it will be fine,” Zaphyr replied as he packed a bag with sufficient supplies.

“You're insane you know that?” Zaphyr stood up and looked at Venaris with a fake puzzled expression.

“Well, if I'm insane, the elf with the power to save the world attempting to do so, what does that make you? The elf who insists on following the “Harold of Andraste” even though he's perfectly capable of going back home?”

“You know why I'm not going to just leave you to fend for yourself. And if you call yourself the Harold of Andraste again I'm probably going to throw up on you,” Venaris replied.

“Please don't. I happen to like this coat.” Venaris snorted and lightly punched Zaphyr in the arm. Zaphyr smiled and looked out the window of his hut, seeing Cassandra speak to Varric and Solas about their upcoming trip. “I'm going to the Hinderlands, regardless of what you say. And I'm going to continue to help the Inquisition. Nothing you say is going to change that.” Venaris sighed heavily and reached over to pat Zaphyr's shoulder.

“I know. But you're mad if you think I'm going to stop trying to talk you out of it,” Venaris said with a smirk.

“And for some reason, I wouldn't have it any other way.” Zaphyr smiled as he headed out of hut with Venaris, joining the others in the courtyard. “Let's head out.”


End file.
